Gagrule.net

Gagrule.net News, Views, Interviews worldwide

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • GagruleLive
  • Armenia profile

Erbil Christians torn between arming themselves or leaving

September 3, 2014 By administrator

The second and final visit of the Lebanese delegation to Iraq, headed by Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, was in Erbil. The delegation discussed how Lebanon can help A Christian woman carries a cross during a demonstration against militants of the Islamic State, formerly known as ISIL, in Arbil, north of BaghdadIraqi authorities with the displaced who fled the land occupied by the Islamic State (IS) in Mosul, the eastern and western parts of Iraq and some parts of the Ninevah Plains.

A member of the Lebanese delegation told Al-Monitor that the senior Kurdish officials, whom the delegation met with, seemed more interested in the issue of IS and its movements on the ground, as if they were militarily responsible for the current battle. The capital of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq was threatened before the US Air Force intervened. At the beginning of the discussions, a senior official in Erbil did not hide his surprise at the IS attack on the Kurdistan Region.

At the political level, the authorities in Erbil were never on good terms with the authorities in Baghdad that IS declared war on. At the sectarian level, the senior Kurdish official noted his surprise at the IS war on the Kurds, as the overwhelming majority of Kurds are Sunnis, just as the IS fighters are. So why did they attack Erbil? There is no easy answer to this question.

Furthermore, the same official told the Lebanese delegation that IS had scored a victory involving morale in its war against its enemies, before any military achievements on the ground. He said, “We were defeated in terms of morale before the battle had even started. We have been scared and panicked, just as the people have been terrified watching the news on the mass crimes committed [by IS]. In Qaraqosh [also known as Baghdeda], which is the largest Christian town in the Ninevah Plains, the residents left even before IS gunmen headed toward the city. As soon as they heard unofficial and unconfirmed news about the IS advancement, the residents of Qaraqosh packed their belongings and fled toward the north to Ankawa, the Christian neighborhood in Erbil.”

The same Kurdish official acknowledged that IS has become a de facto state. He told the Lebanese delegation that the area controlled by IS is almost 200,000 square kilometers (77,000 square miles) — contrary to what the media estimated, which is 130,000 square kilometers (50,000 square miles) — with a population of nearly 10 million people. He even estimated that IS acquired in a few days about 1,500 armored vehicles of various types, and armored troop carriers and tanks they seized from the Iraqi army that collapsed in the northwestern parts of Iraq.

Yet, according to the same Kurdish official, the most dangerous part is that IS gunmen are coming from all over the world. He told his Lebanese guests that a few days ago, the Kurdish peshmerga forces ambushed and hit an armored vehicle carrying IS gunmen, and found out that one of the gunmen was a non-Iraqi Arab, while the remaining four were European nationals.

The opinion of the Kurdish official intersects with that of the officials in Baghdad on one issue, namely, who will actually fight to eradicate IS? The official does not have an answer to this question. Yet, he revealed to the Lebanese delegation that the Kurdish forces are determined to restore areas occupied by IS in the Ninevah Plains. These are originally the disputed areas between Baghdad and Erbil, and this issue has been unresolved for 10 years now.

Nevertheless, the Kurds are connected to these areas for economic and strategic reasons. Therefore, the senior official in Erbil said that his forces will expel IS gunmen from the plains within weeks. He added, “With the support of the US Air Force, of course. We will enter the areas where [the US Air Force] conducts [air] raids, while the situation will remain the same in the areas where it does not [conduct air raids].”

What about the Christians in Erbil? The Kurdish official confirmed to the Lebanese that he is open to arming them and providing them with everything necessary that helps reassure them until an armed unit that consists of the Christians of Iraqi Kurdistan is established, as part of the peshmerga forces. They can have a special status within the peshmerga — such as a Christian fighters unit — but only under the peshmerga’s military command because any particular armed unit could raise problems, just as happened several times in the Iraqi-Kurdish history.

The same official did not seem convinced that Christians are determined to fight. He feels that they are completely defeated, and defeated in terms of morale. They are now waiting for the opportunity to emigrate to the West, and that what is stopping them today is that most of the displaced do not have an identity card or passport, as IS gunmen took these during the tragic displacement. Thus, Christians are waiting for the arrangements, either by the Erbil authorities or international organizations, that would give them temporary IDs. Traveling to the West would then be their first choice, thus turning the page of a long history on this land after the tragedy they suffered.

The Kurdish official came across as being certain in his evaluation of the situation of the Christians in Erbil — he seemed aware that the Iraq he knew no longer exists, and will never return.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X

Like this:

Like Loading...

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Christians, erbil

(MHP), Devlet Bahçeli, has invited Kurdish Leader Öcalan to the Parliament “Ask to end terrorism and dissolve the PKK.”

Significant developments are occurring. The leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), Devlet Bahçeli, has invited Öcalan to the Parliament and requested him to make a call to “end terrorism and dissolve the PKK.” A Kurdish politician named İbrahim Halil shared the following information, which he claimed to have received from PKK circles in Kandil, […]

Kadim Al Sahir كاظم الساهر Iraqi singer and composer, born in Mosul, on September 12, 1957

Kadim Jabbar Al Samarai (born 12 September 1957),[1] better known by his stage name Kadim Al Sahir (Arabic: كاظم الساهر), is an Iraqi singer and composer. Dubbed The Caesar, he has earned numerous local, regional, and international awards.[2] One of the most famous singers in the Arab world, Al-Sahir has sold more than 100 million […]

Azerbaiajn Dictator Hires PR Firm for $4.7 Million To Cleanse Image before Climate Summit

By Harut Sassounian, Azerbaijan’s dictatorial and corrupt government is paying $4.7 million to a US PR firm in order to whitewash its tarnished image before hosting the prestigious COP29 international conference in Baku this November. In February, Azerbaijan hired the American public relations firm Teneo Strategy to make “the warring petrostate look like a Mother […]

Fascism in Armenia at Rapid Speed: 60 Police Officers Attempt to Storm ARF Headquarters in Yerevan

On Monday, approximately 60 police officers attempted to storm the Simon Vratsian Center in Yerevan, the headquarters of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Supreme Council of Armenia. According to a statement from the Council, police officers “provoked and attacked party leaders who blocked their illegal entry into the building.” The statement continued, “Using brute force—behavior typical […]

Rather than Fizzling out, the Movement To Replace Pashinyan is Gaining Strength

By Harut Sassounian, Even since Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, with his thousands of followers, started marching towards Yerevan, many wondered what would happen on May 9 once they reached the Republic Square, where Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s offices are located. After arriving in Yerevan, Bagrat Srpazan gave one hour to Pashinyan to resign. When the hour […]

Donations Tilt Vatican In Favor of Azerbaijan

By Harut Sassounian, In a lengthy article published in the Irpmedia.irpi.eu in Italian on March 27, 2024, titled, “How Vatican helped legitimize the Aliyev autocracy in Azerbaijan,” Simone Zoppellaro exposes Vatican’s pro-Azerbaijan tilt due to financial donations, despite Armenia being a Christian nation, while Azerbaijan is Islamic. On Feb. 22, 2020, the autocratic leader of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, […]

No one is safe under Turkish Agent Pashinyan, whether your Prest, member of Parlement, or pregnant woman

“The police say that they did not detain me. What was it, if not to bring him into custody? Deputy Artur Khachatryan Today, the police took Artur Khachatryan, deputy of the National Assembly “Hazdan” faction, to the Hrazdan police station from the Yerevan-Hrazdan highway. The deputy participated in the protest when the citizens blocked the […]

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE DENIER NIKOL PASHINIAN, ANDRANIK KOCHARYAN

On April 24, the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, people’s thoughts and prayers always go to the martyrs of the genocide, to the year 1915, to the unquenchable fire of Tsitsernakaberd, to those fateful and difficult times that give reason to think about our current reality and forces to draw parallels with the past, […]

Russia Seizes Over 650,000 Acres Of Farmland And Other Assets From Company With Ties To ‘Unfriendly’ Country

Kevin Vandenboss, In a significant escalation of its retaliatory measures against “unfriendly” states amid heightened geopolitical tensions, Russia has seized assets of the agricultural holdings company AgroTerra Group. The move, announced on April 8, 2024, has sent shockwaves through the agricultural sector and raised concerns over food security and international trade relations. President Vladimir Putin’s […]

IN THE AMERICAN CITY, 1 POLICE OFFICER PER 500 INHABITANTS; IN ARMENIA – 1 POLICE FOR 60 INHABITANTS

Garegin Vardanyan Whether some people like it or not, we have to admit that in the last three decades, Armenians have created the most monstrous police force in the world. During this so-called “independent” period, a part of the people in the country, with a population of about 3.5 million, emigrated, and the rest were […]

Armenia Got Funding and Propaganda From EU and US, but not a Single Bullet

By Harut Sassounian, The highly anticipated meeting between high-ranking European and US officials and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan took place in Brussels last Friday. Armenians excitedly hyped up the meeting long before it was held. Some Armenians speculated vainly that Armenia would soon join the European Union, while others went as far as predicting Armenia […]

JEFFREY SACHS: “I want to take it back to the 1840s, to the real roots of hegemony, which is Great Britain.

“I want to take it back to the 1840s, to the real roots of hegemony, which is Great Britain. There was never a hegemon with such ambition and a curious view of the world. But Britain wanted to run the world in the 19th century and taught America everything it knew. Recently, I read a […]

Nikol Pashinyan, during a meeting with a CP party activist, compared his activity to Christ’s path.

Last week, RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, during a meeting with a CP party activist, compared his activity to the path taken by Christ, and in his message of the Holy Resurrection, he hinted at his “impeccable” course. (From here, by the way, it can be assumed that the members of the CP board perform […]

Pashinyan, endless Corruption; 2 grants in 1 day to “Public Relations and Information Center”

“Zhoghovurd” daily writes: “In 2024, the RA Prime Minister’s staff transferred money to the “Public Relations and Information Center” SNOC, which is known as the “fake” SNOC, twice in one day in 2024. The value of the first grant was 731 million 763 thousand one hundred drams, and the second one was 16 million 500 […]

Pashinyan is a Greater Threat to Armenia’s Security Than Artsakh’s Government-in-Exile

By Harut Sassounian We all know the disasters that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan brought upon Armenia, in addition to the loss of Artsakh due to his incompetence. We can cite Pashinyan’s many misguided actions and contradictory statements. Following his complete mismanagement of the military as Commander-in-Chief during the 2020 war, Pashinyan is now making sure […]

Lavrov: EU mission in Armenia is turning into a NATO mission

The situation in relations between Armenia and Russia does not inspire optimism due to the position of the Armenian leadership, which deliberately ruins relations with the Russian Federation. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated in an interview with Izvestia on 28 March. “I have already had to comment on the current situation in Armenia, it […]

Denialists Erdogan and Netanyahu Shamefully Exploit the Term Genocide to Bash Each Other

By Harut Sassounian For several decades, Israel and Turkey were in a honeymoon, supporting each other politically and economically. However, over the years, their relationship soured due to their opposing positions on the Palestinian issues. On several occasions, Israel and Turkey withdrew their ambassadors from each other’s capitals due to such conflicts, only to reinstate […]

German Television Exposes Azerbaijan’s Massive Bribery of European Officials

By Harut Sassounian This is not the first time that autocratic Azerbaijan has come under scrutiny for handing out billions of dollars in bribes to Western officials to ignore its massive violations of the human rights of its own population and Artsakh Armenians. The term ‘Caviar diplomacy’ was coined to describe specifically the corrupt practices […]

Turkey’s Dictator, like Armenia’s Dictator, Bans Entry of Foreigners Who Criticize President Erdogan

By Harut Sassounian, The Turkish government, led by the autocratic leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has banned the entry of over 100,000 foreigners from 150 countries, including journalists and academics, just because they have expressed views critical of the government. This violates the most fundamental principle of democracy — freedom of expression. This is also a […]

Despite His Denials, Aliyev is Upset By International Criticism of Azerbaijan

By Harut Sassounian, Pres. Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan repeatedly states that he ignores all international criticisms regarding his violations of the human rights of his own citizens, war crimes by his soldiers, and ethnic cleansing of Artsakh Armenians. Aliyev tries to cover up these violations and crimes through ‘Caviar diplomacy,’ by providing billions of dollars […]

Gagik Tsarukyan Attends ‘Anti-West’ Forum in Moscow

Gagik Tsarukyan, who heads the Prosperous Armenia party, recently attended a “For Freedom of Nations” forum in Moscow organized by Russia’s governing United Russia party. Tsarukyan, an Armenian businessman with pro-Russian leanings, in a Facebook post today writes that he attended the conference to improve relations between Yerevan and Moscow that have soured of late. […]

Classical Meets Contemporary at John Wayne Airport Transport yourself to ancient Greece and Rome at John Wayne Airport

(SANTA ANA, CA) – Transport yourself to ancient Greece and Rome at John Wayne Airport with Brennan Major Harris’s newest exhibition, Arete & Ergon, on view from January 29, 2024, to February 29, 2024.  Hailing from Southern California, Harris earned his BA in Studio Art from California State University, Long Beach, where he specialized in drawing and painting. […]

Fake Names on List of Donors to Pashinyan’s Candidate for Yerevan Mayor

By Harut Sassounian Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan has boasted for five years about his political party’s fair conduct in elections, blaming the former leaders of carrying out fraudulent elections. As the proverb says, “People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.” Pashinyan has used the considerable resources of his government to gain […]

The Committee for the Defense of Fundamental Rights of the People of Artsakh stated on Friday. It reads as follows:

The Committee for the Defense of Fundamental Rights of the People of Artsakh issued a statement on Friday. It reads as follows: In furtherance of its statement dated January 18, 2024, the Committee for the Defense of Fundamental Rights of the People of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) informs that the initial composition of the Committee includes the […]

Armenia: The wife of National Assembly speaker Alen Simonyan’s brother was detained for two months.

The Anti-Corruption Court of Armenia has ruled to detain Ani Gevorgyan, the wife of National Assembly speaker Alen Simonyan’s brother, for two months, the Armenian News-NEWS.am correspondent reports from the court. This court proceeding is along the lines of the case into the arrests at the Ministry of Economy of Armenia that started Wednesday—and in […]

Armenia’s Deputy Minister of Economy, Ani Ispiryan, has been detained as part of an investigation into corruption within the ministry.

Armenia’s Deputy Minister of Economy, Ani Ispiryan, who arrived in Armenia as a participant in the Armenian government’s iGorts program for Diaspora Armenians, has reportedly been detained as part of an investigation into corruption within the ministry. On January 31, Armenia’s Ministry of Economy announced an ongoing investigation in the ministry. The Minister of Economy’s […]

Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe Voted 76-10 to Kick Azerbaijan Out

By Harut Sassounian, With each passing day, the noose is tightening around Pres. Ilham Aliyev’s neck. The European Union’s Chief of Foreign Policy Josep Borrell warned Azerbaijan on January 22 that there would be ‘severe consequences’ if Armenia’s territory were to be violated. The French Senate adopted a resolution by a vote of 336 to 1 […]

Freedom Slams Biden for F-16 Sale to “Unreliable” Turkey: “Blood on Your Hands”

Human rights activist Enes Freedom is accusing President Biden of putting innocent lives at risk by selling F-16 fighter jets to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. In a fiery Twitter thread, Freedom compares the sale to arming terrorist groups and warns of potential civilian casualties from Turkish airstrikes. “You are going to have innocent people’s blood on […]

Comedy Night: with Vahe Berberian, San Francisco, and Detroit. Do not miss

DETROIT, MICHIGAN, SAN FRANCISCO, CA. WHAT: Armenian Relief Society and the 80th Anniversary of the ARS Mid Council presents Vahe’s latest monologue Payts in Armenian. All proceed to fun ARS Zavarian Armenian One Day School. WHEN: Saturday, February 3, 2024, at 7:30 PM. WHERE: Vistatech Center (On the campus of Schoolcraft College), 18600 Haggerty Rd. Livonia, MI. […]

Ex-Armenian President Armen Sarkissian Արմեն Սարգսյան Message to journalist formerly associated with an Azerbaijan

DR. ARMEN SARKISSIAN @ArmSarkissian I recently got an email asking me about my family’s holdings from a journalist formerly associated with an Azerbaijani think tank and claiming to be acting on information from his Armenian colleagues. In the interest of transparency, I am placing my response in the public domain.  Mr. Denis, As you know, […]

A London Couple’s Lavish Lifestyle Rode on the Azerbaijan Laundromat

Jonathan Browning, Bloomberg News, (Bloomberg) — When U.K. authorities began investigating wealth belonging to a politically-connected Azerbaijani family, their suspicions were triggered by a raft of “brass plate” companies that funneled more than double the amount of the couple’s stated income. Almost 14 million pounds ($19.3 million) was routed into British bank accounts controlled by Suleyman […]

Armenians won’t accept the loss of Artsakh.

BY  SUSAN KORAH, The 100,000 Armenians who fled en masse after Azerbaijan seized control of Nagorno-Karabakh — the enclave known to Armenians as Artsakh — last September are now facing a bitter winter as homeless refugees in Armenia. They and their Church leaders are urgently seeking Canada’s and the international community’s help in reclaiming their homeland […]

Azerbaijan puts Aliyev voting posters on Artsakh Nagorno Karabakh’s presidency building,

Azerbaijan puts voting posters on Nagorno Karabakh’s presidency building, preparing for next month’s snap elections. From a population of over 100,000 inhabitants, about 20 individuals remain in the territory after its capture last September. Out of the thousands of buildings in Stepanakert, Azerbaijan decided to open an election precinct right in the residence of the […]

Smoking In Armenia? Read through.

Armenia: Metsamor police officers in 2023. on December 18, they approached Rashid Avdoyan, who was smoking in the central park of Armavir, and warned him not to smoke. The citizen apologized, stating that there was no warning sign about the prohibition of smoking, and he did not know about the ban. The police said that […]

“Exploring Legacy: The Story of Iraqi Homenetmen Scouts” Date: Sunday, January 21, 2024 Time: 4:30 p.m.

Under the Sponsorship of Homenetmen Western USA Region, the Iraqi Armenians Cultural Committee – California is delighted to invite you to a captivating event dedicated to celebrating the rich history and achievements of the Iraqi Armenian Scouts and the values they uphold. Since its founding, Iraqi Homenetmen Scouts has shaped the lives of countless young individuals […]

Armenian Christians attacked in Jerusalem, some in serious condition. “Armenian clerics in Jerusalem are fighting for their lives.”

Over 30 armed provocateurs wearing ski masks and some carrying lethal weapons attacked a group of Armenian bishops, priests, deacons, and other citizens on Thursday morning in the Old City of Jerusalem, according to the Armenian Patriarchate. “A mass and coordinated physical attack was launched,” the Patriarchate wrote in an official letter to the Police and […]

Criminal Pashinyan Regiame, Suspends Sputnik Armenia Radio for “Mocking” Pashinyan 

Armenia’s National Commission on Television and Radio has suspended the license of Tospa, the broadcaster of Sputnik Armenia radio, for thirty days following remarks by Russian TV personality Tigran Keosayan in November deemed “offensive” to Armenia. The Russian embassy in Yerevan criticized yesterday’s decision, arguing the measure was taken to push Armenia further from Russia. Sputnik Armenia […]

Armenian church looted, vandalized in Sweden

The Armenian church was looted and vandalized in Sodertalje, Sweden, Swedish media report. Valuable items, which have both financial and spiritual value, were stolen from St. Mary’s Armenian Apostolic Church. The police are investigating the incident. Lusine, a member of the Armenian community in Sweden, had written on X that earlier there were a series of […]

Karabakh ex-official: Presidential decree to dissolve Artsakh should be canceled

Everything is very clear, there is even no need for discussion; the [presidential] decree on dissolving the Republic of Artsakh just needs to be canceled. Artak Beglaryan, the former Minister of State of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), stated this in an interview with Armenian News-NEWS.am. “I don’t know why this topic is getting so heavy. It’s just […]

Adversaries Using the Same Playbook

In recent weeks, Armenian and regional political landscapes have witnessed significant events prompting contemplation on their interconnections. Discussions about potential snap elections in Armenia have permeated both pro-government and certain anti-government circles, while Azerbaijan, led by Ilham Aliyev, has already declared snap elections in February. The chronological examination of the past weeks reveals a complex […]

More Posts from this Category

Copyright © 2025 · News Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

%d